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Not to be confused with the John Ford film of the same title, this BFI release presents Liam O’Flaherty’s novel as a claustrophobic exploration of paranoia, belonging, love and betrayal, set at the time Ireland was struggling for independence from Great Britain. The film is beautifully composed, and was shot as both a silent movie and a talkie since at the time the silents were giving way to the “new” speaking pictures, and both versions are present on this release, along with some quaint budget films from the then newly independent Ireland, to underscore the context of the main film. For me the silent version is preferable since the main actors have heavily accented English (Hungarian and Swedish) and this tends to rob the film of some veracity. The score by Garth Knox is appropriate and in harmony with the film, unlike so many modern electronic scores that destroy silent film restorations these days. For fans of silent movies, this is a must-have. You will not be disappointed!